Hummingbirds?

[Mmathis]

Think I'll go dig out my feeders and get a few placed.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Since we are talking humming birds, I have a question.

For those with feeders, how often do you change out your nectar?

 

[RobAmy]

how often do you change out your nectar

I change mine at least every 3 days. I also clean the feeders at he same time.

 

[sissy]

They are NC I saw them at the feeders at the garden center .I watched garden smart on and they were showing mini rock garden plants that were also good around ponds tucked in the rocks .They never get bigger than your hand but they spread and don't have aggressive roots .Hendersonia and polygala which are in the daphnie family .I was trying to write them down fast so not sure I got the spelling right

 

[sissy]

I don't get a chance to change my feeders they are empty every 2 days and I clean feeders with peroxide because soap if not rinsed off properly can cause the hummers to get sick

 

[j.w]

I've heard you can also use vinegar to clean them. Mine eat it all up fast especially if I have only one feeder out there.

 

[addy1]

I clean with vinegar.

 

[sissy]

The people at the garden center also use peroxide and said even vinegar can be very acidic if the feeders are not cleaned and rinsed properly .They soak there's in a bucket after cleaning and then refill .I usually have 6 feeders going

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I change mine at least every 3 days. I also clean the feeders at he same time.

thanks Rob

I was wondering because mine don't ever seem to be touched. Not sure what I am doing wrong? I get plenty of other types of birds at my feeders (I have 4 different ones in the front yard as well as a bird bath) and for two summers I tried putting a hummingbird feeder out but it never seemed like they visited. I actually have two hummingbird feeders, one is red glass kinda round and the other is a light green color longer like a bottle. I use a sugar mix bought from the store, just add hot water and it makes a light red liquid. I got tired of changing them out so I took them down but I would like to give it a try again.

So I see others posted they use either peroxide or vinegar to clean their feeders. Is that really necessary or can they just be rinsed in hot water? (that's what I was doing when I would change out the nectar)

 

[j.w]

I've just used hot water on mine so far to clean and mix 4 parts water (heated and then cooled) to 1 part sugar, no coloring. I find the sugar dissolves better in the heated water. I hang in shade and if it gets cloudy you should toss, clean and refill. Never bought any store made feed. Try making your own for them and see if they like that better. Try using the red bottle by itself first and see how it goes. If you get more coming you can put up the 2nd one.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I've just used hot water on mine so far to clean and mix 4 parts water (heated and then cooled) to 1 part sugar, no coloring. I find the sugar dissolves better in the heated water. I hang in shade and if it gets cloudy you should toss, clean and refill. Never bought any store made feed. Try making your own for them and see if they like that better. Try using the red bottle by itself first and see how it goes. If you get more coming you can put up the 2nd one.

thanks j.w, I will give that a try

 

[Nova]

Saw my first hummer of the year this morning. I put the feeder out a couple days ago.

 

[Margo]

I put out my feeder last night - a bit early as the hummers are just in southern Illinois as of yesterday. But I don't want to miss my chance to get them to stay around - sugar water is cheap and worth the pennies to change it out every couple of days. I also put out my oriole feeder for the year. Last year they stopped by but it was late and I couldn't attract them to stay.

 

[RobAmy]

I put out my feeder last night - a bit early as the hummers are just in southern Illinois as of yesterday. But I don't want to miss my chance to get them to stay around - sugar water is cheap and worth the pennies to change it out every couple of days. I also put out my oriole feeder for the year. Last year they stopped by but it was late and I couldn't attract them to stay.

Try oranges and grape jelly. They love oranges cut in half.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I came across an interesting article today.

Reasons to NOT Use Red Dye in Hummingbird Syrup

-It has NO purpose - Most hummingbird feeders you can buy have enough red color on them to attract hummingbirds without the need for red dye in the nectar. If there is no red on your feeder, simply tie a piece of red flagging, rope, or fabric to it.

-Red dye is typically petroleum based - The dye in colored nectar is red dye #40. Red dye #40 is now made mostly from petroleum, which is not good for any animal to ingest! (see photo)

-Natural nectar from flowers is clear, not red - Nectar made with water and simple white sugar at a 4-to-1 ratio most closely approximates the nectar found naturally in flowers.

-The red dye passes though the hummingbird - The dye stains their excretions red. These indicators mean the red dye is "not metabolized, but passes through the kidneys, where it might cause problems."

-You can make clear nectar more simply and cheaply – Purchasing nectar from stores is expensive. Try making it yourself at home. A 4-to-1 water to white sugar solution will attract hummingbirds.

HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR RECIPE - 1 part sugar to 4 parts water
Boil water
Stir in sugar to dissolve
LET COOL and then fill feeder
Store remainder in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
To Make
1 cup nectar 2 cups nectar 3 cups nectar 4 cups nectar
Water
1 cup 2 cups 3 cups 4 cups
Sugar
1/4 cup 1/2 cup 3/4 cup 1 cup